Getting around

India
is a huge country and you should not plan to visit too many places
unless you have a lot of time. The longest trainjourney in India
takes 72 hours and goes from Kanyakumari in Kerala to Jammu in Jammu
& Kashmir. From Delhi to Chennai it takes about 32 hours. The
journeys can be exhausting, especially if travelling lower class.
Take this into consideration when planning your journey.

By air

By land

Bus
Tourists visas are available for a maximum period of 180 days. No
charge are collected for visa extension within the maximum period
of 180 days. Identical passport photographs are required. However,
in case of an extension beyond 180 days, which is allowed only in
exceptional cases, an extension fee is charged. To get the latest
visa information check with the government of India Tourist Offices
or Indian Consular Offices located in their respective countries.

Train
Indian Railways is the biggest network in Asia and the world’s
second largest under one management. 1.65 million people are employed
by the railway and 11,000 trains runs everyday, including 7,000
passenger trains.The railway network covers almost the entire country;
only a few places such as Sikkim, Ladakh, Uttaranchal and most of
Himachal Pradesh are inaccessible by train becasue of the mountains.

When buying a train ticket, the first thing to to is get the train
table called "Trains at a glance". Inside you will find
all nessescary information about the train, destinations, train
numberts etc..When at the train station you have to fill in a form
specifying the train you intend to catch, its number, your date
of travel, and the stations you are travelling to and from, plus,
amusingly to most travellers, your age and sex (this helps conductors
to determine who you are). Most stations have computerized booking
counters (these are listed in Trains at a Glance), and you will
be told immediately whether or not seats are available.

Intercity trains are called "express" or "mail"
and vary a lot in the time taken to cover the same route. Slow by
Western standards, they're still much faster than local "passenger"
trains, which you need only use to get right off the beaten track.
Note that express and mail trains cost a fair amount more than ordinary
passenger trains, so if travelling unreserved you must buy the right
ticket to avoid being fined. There are also a number of special
"super-fast" air-conditioned trains – the Rajdhani
expresses link distant cities to New Delhi while the Shatabdi expresses
are daytime trains which connect major cities within an 8 hour travelling
distance. Bottled water, snacks and good meals are included in the
much higher ticket prices of the "super-fast" trains.

Train classes

First classComfortable compartments of 2 to 4 berths, used mostly by
English-speaking business travellers, costs about 3 times as much
as sleeper class. Not always available on passenger trains and gradually
being phased out, first class also isolates you from the chaotic
hustle and bustle of India. Second class unreservedSecond class unreserved is extremely crowded and noisy with
no chance of a berth overnight, but incredibly cheap.
The berths are of wood so not very comfortable.Second-class sleeperSecond class sleepers can be pretty crowded too during
the day, but there is a lot of interesting activity; peanut-, chai-
and coffee-sellers, travelling musicians, beggars or sweepers passing
through the carriages. Overnight trips in second-class sleeper compartments
are reasonably comfy (provided the berths are foam and not wooden),
Air-conditioned sleeper with two or three bunks, referred to as
two- or three-tier)

Most travellers choose to travel
second class.It brings you into contact with the world outside and
it is also a way to meet more people.

Taxi
Tourists visas are available for a maximum period of 180 days. No
charge are levied for visa extension within the maximum period of
180 days. Identical passport photographs are required. However,
in case of an extension beyond 180 days, which is allowed only in
exceptional cases, an

Motorcycle
It has become very popular to rent a motorcycle and travel with
it across the country. Enfield, the India brand, seem to be the
most desired. It should not be a problem to buy one since there
are a lot of people selling off their bike after ended trip. The
best place to buy one is apparently in Tamil Nadu/Chennai.

Driving
Unless you have a deathwish I would not recommend to drive in India.
It is then better to hire a driver. The traffic is complete mayhem.
However if you do decide to drive yourself, expect the unexpected
and expect other drivers to take whatever liberties they can get
away with. India has left side driving, but don't expect road rules
to be followed. It seems like the biggest vehicle rules the road.

Traffic in the cities is heavy and undisciplined; vehicles cut
in and out without warning. Pedestrians, cyclists and cows wander
nonchalantly down the middle of the road as if you didn't exist.
In the country the roads are narrow, in a terrible state and hogged
by overloaded Tata trucks that move aside for nobody, while something
slow-moving like a bullock cart or a herd of goats can easily take
up the whole road. To overtake, sound your horn (an essential item
on Indian roads) – the driver in front will signal if it is
safe to do so; if not, he will wave his hand, palm downwards, up
and down. A huge number of potholes don't make for a smooth ride
either.